Greater Bay Area

The 8th Legislative Council of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region held its first meeting, focusing on the aftermath of the fire in Hung Fuk Court, Tai Po

2026-01-15   

The 8th Legislative Council of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region held its first meeting on the 14th in the conference hall of the Legislative Council Complex to discuss the aftermath of the fire in Hung Fuk Court, Tai Po. At the meeting, the Chief Executive of the Special Administrative Region, Li Jiachao, stated that everyone is currently concerned about the reconstruction and restoration of the Hung Fuk Court fire. Therefore, the SAR government proposed a motion at the first meeting of the Legislative Council to discuss in depth the aftermath and restoration work, and work with legislators to promote the implementation of long-term accommodation arrangements and other aftermath work as soon as possible. The SAR government will propose improvement measures in various fields in the motion, support and assist the Fire Independent Committee in conducting a comprehensive review, complete its work as soon as possible, and implement systematic reforms. Subsequently, the Chief Secretary for Administration of the Special Administrative Region, Chen Guoji, proposed a motion on post fire support and reconstruction work for Hung Fuk Court in Tai Po. Chen Guoji proposed five institutional reform suggestions, including comprehensively enhancing fire safety governance capabilities, strengthening building maintenance supervision and enforcement, implementing construction site safety improvement measures, strengthening the role and function of the Urban Renewal Authority in promoting building maintenance, and enhancing owner participation in large-scale maintenance projects. The Deputy Secretary for Administration of the Special Administrative Region Government, Cho Wing Hing, the Deputy Secretary for Finance, Wong Wai Lun, the Secretary for Security, Deng Bingqiang, the Secretary for Development, Ning Hanhao, the Secretary for Housing, Ho Wing Yin, the Secretary for Home Affairs and Youth Affairs, Mai Meijuan, and the Secretary for Labour and Welfare, Sun Yuhan, further elaborated on the relevant content of the proposal. Zhuo Yongxing stated that the SAR government has established the "Tai Po Hung Fuk Court Assistance Fund", with a total amount of HKD 4.3 billion as of the 13th. The fund funds will fully assist residents in coping with the plight of losing their homes, providing emergency and medium - to long-term support to help them return to normal life and rebuild their homes. Huang Weilun said that he is further understanding the thoughts and willingness of residents of Hongfu Garden towards long-term accommodation arrangements through questionnaires. We will continue to combine emotions, reason, and law, prioritize emotions, carefully consider the wishes of residents, the voices of society, and make good use of public resources to formulate further specific recommendations for long-term living arrangements as soon as possible. Deng Bingqiang introduced that the cross departmental investigation team led by the Fire Department is making every effort to investigate the fire and the reasons for the rapid spread of the fire. The police and the Independent Commission Against Corruption have established a joint working group to conduct a comprehensive criminal investigation. The police have arrested 22 people for the fire and 8 people for suspected fraud by taking advantage of the fire. The Independent Commission Against Corruption also arrested 14 people on suspicion of corruption related charges. After the officials of the Special Administrative Region government spoke, members of the Legislative Council actively expressed their opinions, focusing on the short-term, medium-term and long-term resettlement of disaster victims, as well as the investigation and regulation of the aftermath of the fire. Councilor Guan Haoming expressed the hope that the SAR government and the independent committee can quickly investigate the incident and demonstrate social justice. Councilor Jiang Minqian is concerned about the issue of post disaster psychological trauma among residents and hopes that the SAR government will attach importance to medical and emotional support services for residents. At the same time, he hopes that the independent committee can reasonably, fairly, and justly uncover the truth as soon as possible. Councilor Jian Huimin suggested that the SAR government should seek truth from facts, assist those affected, and promote systematic reforms to achieve accountability to the end.

Edit:He Chuanning Responsible editor:Su Suiyue

Source:Xinhua

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